Thursday, April 26, 2018

How it would probably go down if the person with the idea for building pyramids shared it on Facebook today instead of the 27 century BC in Egypt.

Person A: “Hey, all! I have this idea for a triangular building. It’d be a place to bury the pharaohs and their stuff for the afterlife.”Person B: “Eh, like a tomb? That’s creepy.”Person C: “@Person B, why do you think it’s creepy? Do you believe in ghosts?”Person D: [Inserts random NeNe Leakes GIF]Person A: “Yes, like a tomb, @Person B, but also an architectural monument. It’ll have tunnels and chambers and cool stuff like that but also be structurally powerful because it’d be lighter on top and the weight would be well-distributed. I think they could last a long time if they’re built with the right materials, too.”Person B: “No, I don’t believe in ghosts, @Person C. Lol. Wouldn’t the body rot, though?”Person A: “I mean, it’d be in a sarcophagus and we’d use mummification practices, so…”Person B: “Still gross.”Person C: “Lol, you do believe in ghosts.”Person E: “I hate triangles.”Person F: “I am also not a fan of triangles. They remind me of geometry.”Person E: “Same, @Person F. I had such an asshole for a teacher. Got a D.”Person F: “Better than me, @Person E.” [Eye-roll emoji]Person G: “LOOOOOOOOOOOOL! You believe in an afterlife?”Person H: “@Person C, I saw a ghost once. And I believe I was visited by my grandfather after he died.”Person G: “Oh FFS! The woo has arrived.”Person D: [Inserts random “eating popcorn” GIF]Person I: “Sounds cool, @Person A. I like triangles.”Person J: “If only we could bury the pharaohs while they were still alive. Inbred bigots.”Person K: “If you like triangles, you should check out my little sister’s band rehearsal. She plays the triangle. LOL.”Person H: Oh, okay, @Person G. The only reality is the one you see. Mmmkay. Talk about self-absorbed.” [Samuel L. Jackson meme]Person E: “I’m with you, @Person J.”Person G: “I suppose you believe in chemtrails and are an anti-vaxxer, too, @Person H?” [“Dumb hippie” meme.]Person H: “What does that have to do with the topic? I suppose you only believe what is material. Albert Einstein said, ‘The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious; It is the source of all true art and science.’ But I suppose you’re smarter than Einstein.” [Five laughing/crying emojis]Person G: “Okay, blocked! Life’s too short.”Person D: [Inserts random Jim Carrey GIF]Person K: “‘Inbred bigots’? Um, sounds bigoted.” [Shrug emoji.]Person F: “What if it was an inverted triangle?”Person A: “An inverted triangle? It wouldn’t be stable then.”Person H: “I see I’ve been blocked. Bye, Felicia.” [Random Rupaul’s Drag Race GIF.]Person F: “It would be if the right person designed it.”Person L: “What about a spaceship?”Person G: “I don’t know what would be wrong with letting birds and wild animals eat their bodies. It seems like a waste of resources and time but that’s just me.”Person D: [Inserts “Walk Like an Egyptian,” music video.]Person M: “I’m pretty sure triangle buildings already exist.”Person N: “I’m okay with triangles but I wouldn’t want anyone to build one next to my house.”Person G: “I’m pretty sure no one is going to build a memorial to a pharaoh next to your house, @Person N. Lol.”Person L: “The future is in underground houses.”Person N: “Do you know me, @Person G? Why are you such a hater?”Person O: “I don’t believe people should own property.”Person P: “Um, do you own a toothbrush, @Person O?”Person O: “Um, is a toothbrush property, @Person P?”Person P: “Um, according to the dictionary, yes. Are you literate?” [Laughing-crying emoji]Person D: [Inserts a different random popcorn-eating GIF.]Person O: “Blocked. Another condescending white dude.”Person D: [“That escalated quickly” meme.]Person G: “Why did you make this a racial thing, @Person O? What does his color have to do with it?”Person P: “Don’t you know, @Person G? Everything is about race now. lol” [Eye-roll emoji.]Person P: “I can’t talk about anything without being called out as a ‘cisgender white guy’ anymore. Next I’ll be accused of mansplaining. I should just muzzle myself. Identity politics have poisoned our brains.”Person G: “SJWs everywhere!”Person Q: “Yes, damn those ‘‘SJWs’ for making the world a less oppressive, hostile place. [Sideways laughing face emoji] Such horrors they have inflicted upon us. Yes, I’m being sarcastic.”Person I: “I thought this post was about triangle buildings…” [Thinking face emoji.]Person P: “I’ve worked for everything I have.”Person Q: “I suppose you’re color-blind, too? [Eye-roll emoji.]Person P: “There’s no point in having this conversation. You’ve already stereotyped me.”Person Q: “Nope. You stereotyped yourself.”Person G: “LOL. Here we go again.”Person D: [Inserts random SpongeBob SquarePants GIF.]Person I: “Yes, here we go again.” [Kissy-face emoji]Person I: “Why do you keep posting random GIFs, @Person D? Do you have anything worthwhile to contribute or do you only speak in GIF?”Person D: [Inserts random another “eating popcorn” GIF.]Person E: “I still hate triangles.”Person F: “Me, too.”Person G: “You’re actually the racist, @Person I. You are prejudiced against white people.”Person I: “Ooookay. LOL. I *am* white.”Person R: “Why the triangle hate?”Person G: “Looks like @Person A has left the group.”Person D: [Inserts random crickets chirping GIF.]Person R: “I don’t know. I thought it was a cool idea.”

Thursday, April 19, 2018

I
love meeting new people who are spreading the compassionate living message in a
fun and engaging way so it was my pleasure to meet Carleigh Williams of The Vegan Clubhouse when she was tabling
at Indy VegFest. The Vegan Clubhouse, which you can also find on YouTube
and Instagram, provides
a fun, informative and welcoming platform and as well as helpful resources for those
who are exploring veganism. Please check out and share what Carleigh and The
Vegan Clubhouse have to offer! I am honored to feature Carleigh as this week’s
Vegan Rock Star.

1. First of all, we’d love to hear your “vegan evolution” story. How did you
start out? Did you have any early influences or experiences as a young person
that in retrospect helped to pave your path?

I
always loved animals, but I also definitely used the whole “we need it to be
healthy” justification to continue eating them. I was definitely addicted to
cheese & thought that people who were vegan had gone too far & were
just extreme. I worked in the health field & was given the book Reversing
Diabetes by Dr. Neal Barnard. After reading that I was blown away.
Everything I had known about nutrition & preventing disease, was wrong. At
that point I started to do more research. I watched tons of nutrition videos
& slowly allowed myself to watch videos about animal rights. Once I watched
“the best speech you’ll ever hear” by Gary Yourofsky, I was determined to go vegan.
Unfortunately, I was so addicted to cheese that I immediately started going
through withdrawal. I added cheese back into my diet for about 6 weeks while I
weaned off it. I realized that I would be more successful working with my body,
just a little, than forcing it. I wish I could have gone overnight, but I’m so
glad I made it to fully vegan!
2. Imagine that you are pre-vegan again: how could someone have talked to you
and what could they have said or shown you that could have been the most
effective way to have a positive influence on you moving toward veganism?

The
tools that I use the most now & that I think would have been the most
effective on me would be to show me that I can live the same life I already
live, just vegan. There are so many alternatives now & it really comes down
to, why not? Why not try it? Had someone suggested it and offered to show me
alternatives to all the things I loved & just asked me to try it and see
how I liked it, I would have done it. I also never met a vegan before I went
vegan--so I think knowing some vegans and their ability to show me how exciting
living vegan was would have intrigued me. So, make yourself known as a vegan
& show people how awesome it is!

3.
What have you found to be the most effective way to communicate your message as
a vegan? For example, humor, passion, images, etc.?

I
find the best way to spread the message is to live as an example. I don’t keep
it secret that I’m vegan, but I also don’t tell everyone everything about what
they’re eating & supporting. I make it clear what I do and don’t support
& that it’s not a temporary thing for me. I also try to be a patient with
people around me as I can. I will answer any question they have, even if I’ve
answered it 100 times before. I want them to have a good first impression with
veganism. I think there’s such a negative stigma & stereotype with veganism
that if we can start to shift that, it will make all the difference in the
world.

4.
What do you think are the biggest strengths of the vegan movement?

I think the biggest
strength is that veganism is a win-win-win. There’s really no downside to it
other than discomfort & inconvenience. & those are tiny downsides
compared to the upsides. Veganism is beneficial for everyone. For the animals,
the planet, the starving children, our own health. I think people are seeing
more and more information about how it’s beneficial in all these other ways and
that strengthens their resolve to go for it.

5. What do you think are our biggest
hindrances to getting the word out effectively?

I
think the biggest hurdle for the vegan movement is fear. People are afraid of
how it’s going to flip their lives. They’re going to lose their friends,
they’re going to live a life of tofu & salad, they’re going to be
unhealthy, they aren’t going to be able to be social. And that’s just not true.
Veganism will completely change your life, but in amazing ways.

6.
All of us need a “why vegan” elevator pitch. We’d love to hear yours.

“Why
not?” if someone asked me why I was vegan, I’d ask why wouldn’t I be vegan? I
can live a life that’s not only completely full, but it makes a difference. I’m
able to save animals every single day, decrease my carbon footprint, help world
hunger, take care of myself, & put compassion out into the world on a daily
basis. Why wouldn’t I do that?

7.
Who are the people and what are the books, films, websites and organizations
that have had the greatest influence on your veganism and your continuing
evolution?

Gary
Yourofsky was definitely the trigger to make me decide to go vegan. Some of my
favorite resources that I would highly recommend are:

8. Burn-out is so common among vegans: what do you do to unwind, recharge and
inspire yourself?

I
have always been a pretty positive person. I’m able to focus most of the time
on how amazing it is that we are constantly moving forward. Whenever I start to
get frustrated, I see if I can use that situation to inspire anyone else. Can I
make a video around that topic to answer the questions of other vegans? Can I
answer their questions patiently to inspire someone else in the room & when
I’m really burned out about it, I just go hide out with my cats and disconnect
from the Internet. Honestly, I don’t follow very many non-vegan people anymore
online & that really helps too.

9. What is the issue nearest and
dearest to your heart that you would like others to know more about?

I’m
constantly amazed by how much veganism and zero waste are intertwined. Animals
are dying, their habitats are being destroyed by our consumerism & plastic
use. I really encourage people to look at the waste they are putting out into
the world & see if they can cut it back, find a more sustainable way to
live that helps the animals & planet from another angle.

10.
Please finish this sentence: “To me, being vegan is...”

To me, being vegan is
the ultimate expression of love & kindness. It’s putting positive vibes
& compassion out into the world with every bite, purchase, & decision I
make. Quick note: Every person featured in our 10 Questions series has come to their veganism from different backgrounds, with different approaches and inspired by different people. The responses to the questions in our interviews are the opinions of the interviewee, not necessarily shared by myself or VeganStreet.com.

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

One of the brightest lights in the messy morass
that is oftentimes social media, Sarah
Woodcock is not only a tireless vegan advocate but also adds a vital and
distinctive voice that draws attention to the need for racial justice, feminism
and a holistic, pro-intersectional approach to the vegan movement. As someone
who became inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement and fighting against
injustice (you can read more of her inspiring story here), Sarah, along with her partners
Louis Hunter and Dan Woodcock, will be bringing a unique vegan restaurant to
Minneapolis - the first of its kind that is primarily owned by people of color
- with Trio Plant-Based, serving their commitment to
anti-oppression activism along with fabulous plant-based comfort food, already
showcased in three successful pop-ups. With a newly launched Kickstarter (please share and donate if you
are able!), Sarah and company have their sights set on opening a
brick-and-mortar restaurant in Minneapolis as soon as possible. I am so excited
for Trio Plant-based and to have a new place to check out the next time we are
in Minnesota. I am honored to feature Sarah as this week’s Vegan Foodie.

1. How did you start down this path of creating delicious food? Was a love for
food nurtured into you? Did you have any special relatives or mentors who
helped to instill this passion?

My mom is
an excellent cook with a real passion for cooking. Growing up, she was always
cooking for the family, and she definitely instilled the love of cooking in me.
I would often get inspired, as a child, to bake bread or cook meals. And just
so you know, I never added Cherry Coke™ to a bread recipe that called for soda
(i.e. baking soda).
2. What was your diet like when you were growing up? Did you have any favorite
meals or meal traditions? Do you carry them over today?

My diet
was a Midwestern meat and potatoes diet. But come to think of it, I do recall a
family vacation to Maine where we ordered clam chowder, and I exclaimed, “There
are animals in my soup!” I could not finish it.

3. It’s late at night and you just got home: What is your favorite quick and
simple vegan meal?

I love
cooking up a Gardein™ Beefless Burger on a Pretzilla bun with
Vegenaise and ketchup! Yummm!

4. If you could prepare one meal or dessert for anyone living or dead, who
would it be for and what would you create?

If I have
to pick just one person, I would make a meal for my husband Dan…probably vegan
eggs benedict because that was his favorite nonvegan breakfast! You have
inspired me; I will make that for him now.
5. What do you think are common mistakes in vegan cooking and how do you avoid
them?

I really
enjoy getting what I cook to match the nonvegan version as much as possible.
Not getting it to match is not a “mistake,” but I am not satisfied unless it is
similar or as delicious, and it ought to be more delicious!

6. What ingredients are you
especially excited about at the moment? Also, what ingredients do you always
like to have on hand?

Kala
namak salt (i.e. black salt) is magical for eggs! Purely magical. And I always
have garlic and onion on hand!
7. What are your top three cuisines from around the world?

I love US
American food and Italian food, and third place is shared by Thai and Korean
food!
8. Who or what has been most influential to you on your vegan path?
Individuals, groups, books, films, etc. included.

It has
not been one person or group or thing. It has truly been the individual vegans
who I have observed, supported, and been supported by who have been most
influential to me. A special mention to my dear friend Rhonda Anderson, who has
been there for me inside and outside the vegan movement. I would not be who I
am today without her loving friendship.
9. What issue is nearest and dearest to your heart that you would like people
to know more about?

Oppression.
I know that is really broad, but our world would be a hugely better place if
people gained a better understanding of the power dynamics of oppression
especially as they play out with racism. People really do not get it. I
recommend the powerful and groundbreaking anti-racism work of Catrice Jackson for those who are
sincere in wanting to start getting it. I know vegans really want to just focus
on animals, but they fail to realize animals will never be free if we do not
unite with our fellow humans. And uniting with our fellow humans means
supporting, truly supporting, those who are oppressed by racism.
10. Last, please finish this sentence. "To me, vegan food is…"

…so good
for animals; it can have benefits for human health and is less harmful than
nonvegan food from an environmental perspective.